Monroe Police Department prepares to defend title

The Monroe Police Department will once again face off against the Monroe Fire Department in an epic flag football battle of red versus blue.

The second annual Monroe Boys & Girls Club police versus fire charity flag football game kicks off at noon on Saturday, Sept. 19, at Monroe High School, 17001 Tester Road. Tickets are $5 each until Friday, Sept. 18, and can be purchased at the Monroe Boys & Girls Club, the Monroe Police Department, the Monroe Fire Department, the Man Cave Barbershop and Emerald City Athletics. Tickets will be available for $8 each at the gate, starting at 11 a.m. on game day.

All proceeds from the event will support the Monroe Boys & Girls Club. The National Anthem will be performed by Park Place Middle School student Madeleine Gamble, with additional performances by the Monroe Boys & Girls Club Cheer Squad and Sqord program.

"We are all very excited about this game and look forward to seeing the high level of competition playing out,GÇ¥ said Monroe Boys & Girls Club Unit Director Jeff Rasmussen.

Flag football is similar to regular football, except that there is no tackling. Players wear flags hanging from their belts, so when somebody is running with the ball, the defensive team must remove the flag from the player's belt to end the down, rather than jumping on top of them in a tackle maneuver.

In last year's spirited match-up, the Monroe Police Department took the win with a final score of 20-15.

Prior to last year's game, it had been over seven years since the two agencies battled it out on the field.-á

The game is being sponsored by several Monroe organizations, including Power Breaker Seattle, the Rotary Club of Monroe, the Man Cave Barber Shop and Big Dog's Hot Dog Joint. For more information on the Monroe Police versus Fire Flag Football Game, visit www.facebook.com/MonroeBoysGirlsClub.-á -á